The Future of AI in Africa: Trends, Risks and Recommendations

?How AI is transforming various sectors and creating new opportunities for innovation and growth

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most disruptive technologies of our time, with the potential to enhance productivity, efficiency, and quality across various domains. According to a report by PwC, AI could add $15.7 trillion to the global GDP by 2030, with $6.6 trillion coming from increased productivity and $9.1 trillion from consumption effects. Moreover, AI can augment human capabilities and enable people to work smarter and faster, creating $2.9 trillion of business value and 6.2 billion hours of worker productivity globally.

Africa, as a continent with rich cultural, biodiversity, and mineral resources, has a unique opportunity to leverage AI to drive large-scale transformation and competitiveness. However, to do so, it needs to overcome some key challenges, such as the lack of digitised data, infrastructure, skills, and policies that are essential for developing and deploying AI solutions. In this blog post, we will explore some of the current and future applications of AI in Africa, as well as the steps that need to be taken to harness its full potential.

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?AI in health care

One of the most promising sectors for AI in Africa is health care, where AI can help address the shortage of personnel and facilities, improve diagnosis and treatment, and reduce costs and errors. For instance, AI can be used to analyse medical images, such as X-rays or MRI scans, and detect diseases or abnormalities with high accuracy and speed. This can help doctors make better decisions and provide timely interventions for patients.

AI can also be used to personalise medicine based on the genetic profile of an individual. This is known as pharmacogenomics, which is the study of how genes affect a person's response to drugs. By using AI to analyse genomic data, it is possible to tailor treatments that are more effective and have fewer side effects for each patient. Considering the genetic diversity found on the African continent, it is highly likely that the application of these technologies in Africa will result in considerable advancement in medical treatment on a global level.

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Some examples of AI startups that are innovating in health care in Africa are:

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- Zipline: A drone delivery service that delivers blood, vaccines, and other medical supplies to remote areas in Rwanda and Ghana.

- Babylon Health: A telemedicine platform that provides access to doctors and health information via a smartphone app in Rwanda.

- LifeBank: A digital platform that connects blood banks with hospitals and patients in Nigeria.

- Ada Health: An AI-powered chatbot that provides personalised health assessments and guidance in Swahili and other languages.

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?AI in agriculture

Another sector that can benefit from AI in Africa is agriculture, which employs about 60% of the population and contributes about 15% of the GDP. AI can help farmers increase their yields, reduce their costs, and adapt to climate change by providing insights and recommendations based on data from sensors, satellites, drones, or smartphones. For example, AI can be used to monitor soil conditions, crop health, pest infestation, weather patterns, and market prices, and suggest optimal actions for irrigation, fertilisation, harvesting, or selling.

AI can also be used to improve animal breeding and welfare by using genomic precision. This involves using advanced algorithms and machine learning methods to select the best genetic traits for livestock production at an early stage. This can help minimise the ecological footprint, address changing consumer demands, and contribute to the well-being of people and animals alike.

Some examples of AI startups that are innovating in agriculture in Africa are:

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- Farmcrowdy: A digital platform that connects farmers with investors who fund their operations in Nigeria.

- Aerobotics: A data analytics company that uses drones and AI to provide farmers with crop health and yield information in South Africa.

- Apollo Agriculture: A fintech company that uses satellite data and machine learning to provide credit, insurance, and agronomic advice to smallholder farmers in Kenya.

- My Intelligent Machines: An AI startup that uses genomic precision to optimise livestock production models.

?AI in education

A third sector that can benefit from AI in Africa is education, where AI can help improve access, quality,

and relevance of learning opportunities for millions of students. AI can be used to create personalised learning paths,

adaptive assessments,

and interactive content that suit the needs, preferences and goals of each learner. AI can also be used to provide teachers with feedback, support, and resources that enhance their pedagogical skillsand reduce their workload.

AI can also be used to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusion by providing access to learning materials in local languages and contexts.AI can also be used to foster creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills that are essential for the future of work.

Some examples of AI startups that are innovating in education in Africa are:

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- Eneza Education: A mobile learning platform that provides access to curriculum-aligned content, quizzes, and live tutoring in Kenya, Ghana, and Ivory Coast.

- Ubongo: A social enterprise that creates edutainment content in local languages for children in Tanzania, Rwanda, and other countries.

- Chalkboard Education: A mobile learning solution that works offline and online to deliver courses and assessments in Ghana, Mali, and Ivory Coast.

- Instill Education: A professional development platform that uses AI to provide personalised coaching and mentoring for teachers in South Africa.

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?How to prepare for the AI future in Africa

While AI offers many opportunities for innovation and growth in Africa, it also poses some challenges and risks that need to be addressed. These include the ethical, social, and legal implications of AI, such as privacy, security, bias, accountability, and human rights. Moreover, AI may also have disruptive effects on the labour market, as some jobs may be automated or transformed by AI, while new jobs may require new skills and competencies.

To prepare for the AI future in Africa, it is essential to develop a comprehensive and inclusive AI strategy that aligns with the vision, values, and priorities of the continent. This strategy should involve multiple stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia, civil society, and international partners, and should address the following aspects:

- Data: To enable the development and deployment of AI solutions in Africa, it is crucial to improve the availability, quality, and accessibility of data. This can be done by digitising national records across various domains, such as health, education, agriculture, and culture. This can help democratise access to information and give local innovators and entrepreneurs a voice in creating context-relevant and culturally-informed AI algorithms. Moreover, it is important to establish data governance frameworks and standards that ensure the protection of data rights and privacy.

- Infrastructure: To enable the adoption and diffusion of AI solutions in Africa, it is vital to invest in the physical and digital infrastructure that supports AI. This includes data centres, servers, storage systems, networks, and cloud services that provide the computational power and storage capacity for AI?applications. It also includes grid electricity and solar energy that provide reliable and affordable energy sources for AI devices. Furthermore, it includes broadband internet and mobile connectivity that provide access to online services and platforms for AI users.

- Skills: To enable the participation and contribution of African talent in the AI ecosystem, it is essential to invest in the human capital that drives AI. This includes developing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills and digital literacy at all levels of education, from primary to tertiary. It also includes developing AI-specific skills, such as data science, machine learning, and programming, through formal and informal training programs, online courses, and bootcamps. Moreover, it includes developing soft skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration, that are crucial for working with AI.

- Policies: To enable the regulation and oversight of AI solutions in Africa, it is necessary to develop policies and laws that address the ethical, social, and legal challenges of AI. This includes creating ethical principles and guidelines that ensure the alignment of AI with human values and rights. It also includes creating legal frameworks and institutions that ensure the accountability and transparency of AI systems and actors. Furthermore, it includes creating policies and incentives that foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the AI sector.

?Conclusion

AI is a powerful technology that can transform various sectors and create new opportunities for innovation and growth in Africa. However, to harness its full potential, it is important to overcome some key challenges, such as the lack of data, infrastructure, skills, and policies that are essential for developing and deploying AI solutions. By developing a comprehensive and inclusive AI strategy that involves multiple stakeholders and addresses these aspects, Africa can prepare for the AI future and become a leader in the global AI landscape.

[1]: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-future-is-intelligent-harnessing-the-potential-of-artificial-intelligence-in-africa/

[2]: https://africanarguments.org/2023/03/peering-into-africas-ai-future-a-roadmap-for-digitisation/